Powering Through

CAPTION: Matthew Dehmel squats 405 lbs while Matthew Rice, left, and coach Richard Caron, right, spot him Friday afternoon at the Three Oaks Senior High school gym. Dehmel and Rice will be competing in the International Powerlifting Federation’s World Junior and Sub Junior Competition in Moosejaw, Saskatchewan in August. Photo Ryan Quigley / Journal Pioneer

Two Three Oaks men are going to the powerlifting world juniors.

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Lifting 450 lbs with two people is a daunting task for most people.

For two Three Oaks Senior High students it would be a walk in the park.

Matt Rice, 17, and Matt Dehmel, 16, are part of the Three Oaks powerlifting team. The teammates both won gold medals at the Canadian Powerlifting Union National Junior and Sub Junior championships in Charlottetown earlier this year and are heading to Moosejaw, Saskatchewan for the International Powerlifting Federation’s World Junior and Sub Junior championships in August.

Rice competes in the 205 lbs weight class and has deadlift 575 lbs and has squat 530 lbs.

Dehmel competes in the 264 lbs weight class and has deadlift 465 lbs and has squat 502 lbs.

Rice and Dehmel both remember where they started to get to this point.

“I was just in the gym working out, trying to get ready for football and rugby. Mr. Caron was there just training with some of the other lifters and he just kind of recruited me and kind of said you’ll put on a lot of muscle and get a lot of strength and that interested me now it’s just kind of gone from there.”

“My dad suggested it. Around Grade 9, he said I heard there’s a powerlifting team in Three Oaks and you should probably join it and I did.”

Both boys said it was the rush they felt when they were competing that made them fall in love with the sport.

“All the people in the lifting, everybody’s supportive and the adrenaline that goes through you at a meet, there’s just no other sport like it. Like you just can’t get that kind of a rush in anything,” said Rice.

“It’s so fun when you get up there and get 400 lbs, 500lbs on your back and everybody’s watching you, staring at you it’s pretty fun.”

Rice and Dehmel said they were excited to win Nationals and to be representing their country but were now focused on competing against the world.

“I don’t know what the competition is going to be like, I don’t know what the lifts are like, especially in the Worlds but I know in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe, I hear it’s pretty big down there,” said Dehmel. “I’ve never seen a Russian before,” he joked.

“I just want to go down there and do everything I can,” said Rice. “If we train hard and just go out there and do our best we have a shot at it.”

Caron said he is proud of what his athletes have accomplished so far.

“I have huge expectations for Matt Rice’s deadlifting and Matt Dehmel’s squatting. I’m excited cause I know what they’re capable of.”

Caron said they don’t plan on changing any of their training or routines for the worlds.

“We’ve done well so far, we’ve done something right since they’re both national gold medalists,” he said. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

The team is hosting a concert on June 25^th called Rock the Worlds at the Ecole Sur Mer to support their trip as they are receiving no government funding.